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Guidelines for Wooden Components
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Conservation Actions
Cleaning Wooden Components | Re-coating Wooden Components |
Eliminating Insect Infestations | Treating Deteriorated Elements
General Approach
| Recommended
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Not Recommended
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| Inspect the damaged element to determine the level and extent of damage. |
Intervening without properly identifying if repairs are necessary. |
| Determine the cause of the damage or deterioration requiring repair, through investigation, analysis, monitoring, and testing as required. |
Initiating a repair without understanding the cause of the problem being treated.
Carrying out a repair that does not address the cause of the problem.
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| Document the existing location, function, form and type of assembly, dimensions of the wooden element, and type of wood; the type and colour of the coating; and, the condition of the wooden element prior to beginning any conservation activity. |
Beginning conservation activity without properly identifying the physical characteristics, functional requirements and condition of the wooden element. |
Conservation Actions
Cleaning Wooden Components
| Recommended
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Not Recommended
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Clean using the gentlest methods possible and only when necessary to halt deterioration or remove heavy soiling or graffiti.
Clean using low pressure soaking with water (less than 350 kPa [50 psi]) followed by gentle scrubbing with natural bristle brushes. |
Using detergents or household cleaners with Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to remove stains, as they may adversely react with other materials or be hazardous to animals and plant life.
Using tools that could damage the wood, including: steel wire brushes; metal tools such as spatulas, knives, or screwdrivers; abrasive pads such as steel wool; and rotary grinders or sanders.
Using biocides to kill off plants such as lichens, as chemicals in the biocide may adversely react with other materials on the Cenotaph/Monument, or be hazardous to non-target animals and plant life.
Using high-pressure water cleaning methods that could damage the wood. |
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Re-coating Wooden Components
| Recommended
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Not Recommended
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| Inspect coated wooden surfaces to determine whether re-coating or re-painting is necessary, or if cleaning is all that is required. |
Removing paint or other coatings that are firmly adhering to and thus protecting wooden surfaces.
Re-coating or repainting a wooden feature that is stained, without first determining whether or not the stain is the result of fungal decay. |
| Retain coatings, such as paint, that help protect the wood from moisture and ultraviolet light. Removal of a coating should be considered only where there is surface deterioration of the coating and where re-coating will occur. |
Stripping paint or other coatings to reveal bare wood, thus exposing historically coated surfaces to the effects of accelerated weathering.
Stripping coated wooden surfaces to bare wood, and then applying clear finishes or stains in order to create a 'natural' look.
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| Remove damaged or deteriorated coatings to the next sound layer using the gentlest methods possible, scraping and sanding by hand, then re-coating in kind. |
Using destructive removal methods such as propane or butane torches, sandblasting or water-blasting. These methods can irreversibly damage woodwork or other delicate parts of the Cenotaph/Monument, or cause fires. |
| Use electric hot-air guns carefully on decorative wooden features. Use electric heat plates on flat wooden surfaces when paint is so deteriorated or so thick that total removal is necessary prior to repainting. |
Using thermal devices improperly so that the woodwork is scorched.
Failing to have a fire extinguisher nearby when using thermal devices.
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| Apply compatible paint coating systems following proper surface preparation, such as washing with trisodium phosphate. |
Failing to follow the manufacturer's product and application instructions when re-painting woodwork.
Applying paint over deteriorated wood.
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| Re-painting with colours that are historically appropriate. |
Using new colours that are historically inappropriate. |
| Apply a chemical preservative treatment, if required, using recognized preservation methods. |
Using chemical preservatives such as creosote or copper napthanate, because if they have not been used historically, they can change the appearance of wood features. |
| Apply chemical preservatives to traditionally unpainted wooden features that are exposed to decay hazards. |
Using preservatives that leave or form harmful residues, injure non-target animals or plant life, or corrode or damage other materials of the Cenotaph/Monument and its surroundings. |
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Eliminating Insect Infestations
| Recommended
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Not Recommended
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| Treat active infestations of insects by first identifying the type of insect, and then implementing a program of elimination appropriate to that insect. If using pesticides, confirm that the chemical is registered for the intended purpose with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and follow the manufacturer's product and application instructions. |
Using pesticides that leave or form harmful residues, injure non-target animals or plant life, or corrode or damage other materials of the Cenotaph/Monument and its surroundings. |
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Treating Deteriorated Elements
| Recommended
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Not Recommended
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| Repair deteriorated wooden features by the most appropriate minimum interventions available such as: patching, piecing-in, consolidating, structural reinforcement, or otherwise reinforcing the wood. |
Removing or replacing an entire wooden element when repair of the wood or limited replacement of deteriorated or missing parts are appropriate.
Unnecessarily removing sound wood. |
| Select replacement wood used for repairs, to match the existing wood as closely as possible as to: species; grade; quality (first growth, second growth); cut (quarter sawn, flat sawn, etc.); grain direction and pattern; and, moisture content. |
Using replacement material that does not match the existing wooden elements.
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| Use a compatible substitute material if matching existing wood is not technically or eco-nomically feasible. |
Using a substitute material for the replacement part that neither conveys the same appearance as the surviving parts of the wooden element, nor is physically or chemically compatible. |
| Repair of deteriorated wood may include consolidation, where synthetic resins are used to bond together the deteriorated wood fibres. Consolidants should be able to: deeply penetrate the wood; harden without shrinkage; bond well with the wood; not adversely react chemically with the wood; be reversible or removable; remain stable with age, for example not changing colour or becoming brittle with exposure to ultraviolet radiation; not be wicked out by moisture; and, not alter the surface appearance of the wood. |
Using untested consolidants that could cause further damage to fragile historic materials. |
| Use surviving prototypes upon which to base the design of in kind replacement when repairing extensively deteriorated or missing wooden parts. |
Replacing wooden elements with forms lacking any previous association with the Cenotaph/Monument. |
| Create connections between the new and existing wood that will accommodate natural shrinking and expansion; maintain load paths and stress distributions within the original structure; and are appropriate for the original framing techniques used. |
Creating connections between replacement and existing wood that detract from the appearance of the wooden feature.
Using metal fasteners that react chemically with the wood or any preservative treatments applied to the wood.
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| Design and install a complete wooden component when the existing one is entirely damaged or missing. New design should be compatible with the style and character of the Cenotaph/Monument, and should be based on physical and documentary evidence. |
Changing the original style and character of the Cenotaph/Monument by adding newly designed replacements. |
| Maintain a record of the date and extent of the conservation actions to guide future research and treatment. |
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